Basic search tips

To carry out a basic search, just click inside the search box and type in a few words which describe what you are looking for, then press Enter (or click the Search button).  A list of relevant pages from the Kirklees Web Site will then be displayed.  The search will only find web pages that contain all the words you have typed in.  If you want to narrow your search, it is as simple as adding more words to the search box.  Your new search will list a smaller number of the pages which were found in your original, broader search.  This will help you to find what you're looking for more easily.

Choosing keywords

The words that you type into the search box are called keywords. 

For best results, it's important to choose your keywords wisely.  Keep these tips in mind:

• Try the obvious first.  If you're looking for information on grants, enter "grant" rather than "cash".
• Use words that are likely to appear on a page with the information you want.  "Libraries" gets better results than "places to borrow books".
• Make your keywords as specific as possible.  "Blue Badge" gets more relevant results than "parking".

Leaving out the word "and"

By default, the search will only find pages that include all of your search terms.  There is no need to include the word "and" between your keywords.  Keep in mind that the order in which the terms are typed will affect the search results.  To restrict a search further, just include more terms.  For example, to find out when your nearest Household Waste and Recycling Centre is open, simply type:

Using common words

The search will ignore common words and characters such as "where" and "how", as well as certain single numbers and single letters.  This is because they tend to slow down your search without improving the results.  The results page will tell you if a common word has been ignored - if this happens, you will see details below the search box.

If a common word is essential to getting the results you want, you can include it by putting a "+" sign in front of it.  (Be sure to include a space before the "+" sign.)

Another method for doing this is a phrase search, in which you put quotation marks around two or more words.  Common words in a phrase search (e.g. "where are you") are included in the search.

For example, to search for Active for Life, use:

Capitalization

Searches are not case sensitive.  All letters, regardless of how you type them, will be understood as lower case.  For example, searches for "Planning Applications", "planning applications", and "PLANNING APPLICATIONS" will all return the same results.

Word variations

To provide the most accurate results, the search looks for the exact words that you enter in the search box.  For example, if you search for "foster" or "foster*" the search will not find "fostering".  If in doubt, try both variations: "foster" and "fostering", for instance.